Is your business looking for a creative, cost-effective way to reach potential customers who give back to the community? Have you considered the benefits of adopting a highway?
Adopt A Highway programs provide businesses and organizations a unique opportunity to gain consistent brand exposure while volunteering to clean local roadways. But what exactly are the benefits? And how does it work?
In this blog post, we’ll explore what an Adopt A Highway program entails, how it differs from other forms of out-of-home advertising, and – most importantly – the advantages your business can realize by getting involved.
From brand recognition to boosting your corporate social responsibility, adopting a highway may just be the marketing strategy your company is looking for!
What Is An Adopt A Highway Program?
An Adopt A Highway program allows businesses and organizations to sponsor a section of highway to keep litter-free.
Typically, sponsors agree to carry out cleanups along your stretch of road 4-6 times yearly. In return, you get to display your name or logo on road signs in that area – letting drivers know that you’ve taken an active role in keeping the area clean and clear of debris.
Adopt A Highway programs have existed since the 1980s in almost every U.S. state. Currently, over 120,000 groups sponsor portions of highways nationwide. Road sections typically range from 2-5 miles based on traffic volume and available space.
And now, Sponsor a Highway Programs have emerged that allow companies to invest in keeping roadsides clean – while the organization handles the maintenance manpower!
How Adopt A Highway Differs From Other Visual Advertising
Adopt A Highway sets itself apart from other forms of out-of-home and visual advertising:
- Cost-Effective – Sponsorship fees based on road traffic volumes make it very budget-friendly, especially compared to the high cost of print, TV, and digital ads.
- 24/7 Exposure – Signs stay in place 365 days a year, providing constant visibility. There are no ad rotations or limited impressions.
- Gives Back – By keeping the highway clean, adopters provide a public service that reflects well on sponsoring brands.
- Area Targeted –Highway routes enable geographically targeted marketing focused on drivers in specific locations.
- Credible Ad Medium – Research shows roadside signage is considered more trustworthy and influential than heavily saturated digital ads people are prone to ignore.
- Measurable – Sponsors receive litter collection reports after every pickup, allowing you to quantify the impact.
Adopt A Highway’s unique advantages make it stand out as an affordable, trusted, and sustainable form of place-based advertising.
The Benefits of Investing in an Adopt A Highway Program
1. You Gain Brand Recognition on the Busiest Highways
Adopt A Highway signs are placed along busy interstates, highways, and freeways with high traffic volumes. For example, sections of I-95 see over 200,000 vehicles daily! This ability to capture commuters and travelers along popular routes gives your brand incredible visibility.
Your logo will be displayed prominently whether drivers reside locally or are just passing through. This repetition and consistency are key for recall. Research shows outdoor advertising leaves up to 90% of viewers able to remember the brand advertised after exposure.
2. Your Adoption Sign Help Promote Volunteer Efforts In The Community
By adopting a highway, you pledge to organize litter cleanups 4-6 times yearly. This allows employees or members to volunteer together in a team-building activity with tangible environmental impact.
Strengthen your community ties and CSR reputation by getting teams out along the route to pick up litter. Adopters even receive summary reports after each cleanup showcasing the positive difference made.
Let your adoption signs mark not only your brand name but also your stewardship. This will give locals something to smile about as they drive past your litter-free stretch of highway.
3. Your Business Can Enjoy Greater Social Responsibility Awareness
Today’s consumers care about corporate social responsibility, with 86% expecting companies to support social or environmental issues. Cause marketing builds credibility and emotional connections with customers.
Supporting a highway adoption program shows you care about the local area and environment. You help mitigate the over 50 billion pieces of litter along US roads yearly. Promote your participation on social media and let website visitors know about your sponsored stretch of highway.
4. A Sponsor A Highway Program Is Surprisingly Cost-Effective
The cost to sponsor a 2-mile highway stretch can range from $2,000 – $10,000 annually, depending on factors like road traffic and program fees set by each state. This may seem pricey initially, but not when considering the daily impressions and awareness you receive.
With highways seeing an average of 30,000 vehicles per day, that means over 10 million drivers per year view your roadside sign! The cost per thousand impressions comes to around 10-20 cents – an incredible deal compared to $10-$20 for digital ads.
The fixed annual fee also means no surprises or overages. You get round-the-clock exposure at one flat rate, allowing accurate annual media budgeting.
5. You Can Get Involved and Participate Without Massive Company Overhead
One appeal of Adopt A Highway programs is the ability for small—to mid-sized businesses to participate. The cleanup duties associated with adopting a stretch of highway are reasonable for most organizations.
The public road agency provides training, safety vests, litter pickers, and bags – you show up! It’s a built-in way to give back without overwhelming internal resources.
Of course, more giant corporations with ample staff and community outreach budgets can benefit, too. Adopting allows scaling up involvement through sponsoring longer highway stretches.
6. You Help Employees Become Engaged Volunteers
Employees, especially millennials, want to work at companies that give back. A survey showed that involvement in social issues is a key consideration for younger hires.
Adopt A Highway gives you that purpose-driven initiative to rally staff around. Let your adoption program facilitate team building as employees bond during cleanups. Instill pride by seeing your brand displayed on adoption signage they helped earn through hard work beautifying public spaces.
Experience shows participating together in fieldwork strengthens camaraderie and leadership skills. It also boosts employee fulfillment, which leads to higher engagement and better retention.
7. Customers Will Thank You For The Cleaner Environment
Your adoption efforts will ultimately lead to less litter-polluting highways and greenspaces near your community, which will protect local wildlife and waterways in surrounding ecosystems.
Residents will appreciate you taking responsibility for caring for shared public areas off the beaten path that often get neglected. You help address issues like non-biodegradable trash and highway runoff that threaten nature.
As consumers become more eco-conscious and passionate about sustainability, they support brands aligned with these values. Your program gives a powerful point of differentiation as customers recognize your adoption sponsorship in the neighborhood.
Adopt a Highway Today with Adopt A Highway®
It’s clear that sponsor-a-highway programs offer immense value for sponsoring brands. This unique opportunity delivers consistent impressions and awareness at a fraction of the costs of other media—all while giving back with a simple sign placement!
The best part? Adopt A Highway Maintenance Corporation® handles all highway cleanup coordination when you sponsor through our program. That means reaping the full benefits without operational headaches for your business or volunteer groups.
Our team facilitates litter removal, manages safety requirements, trains volunteers, and handles all logistics. You provide occasional manpower and let your adoption signage do the rest – boosting your brand and social responsibility credibility 24/7.
Don’t miss out on valuable exposure and impacting a positive community via daily transportation. Visit AdoptAHighway.com to browse available highway stretches in your target region and state program details.
Editorial credit for photo: Kit Leong / Shutterstock.com